KOCHI: A search launched by a vigilance committee constituted by local residents following rising drug menace in Kalamassery helped unearth illegal liquor sales using migrant workers on Saturday. In all, 54 bottles of IMFL bought from Bevco were recovered. The police arrested three persons Pyarilal, 49, Palappilly, Pallilamkara, Kalamassery and his aides Suryaprabhan and Ramesh Maji, both hailing from West Bengal. Padilla was operating the liquor sales using migrants.
The search at the houses where migrant workers were residing at Hidayath Nagar started on Saturday morning. Kalamassery police also started a search. The bottles were recovered from the residence of Suryaprabhan and Ramesh Maji and they were arrested. After the police took the two accused, the local residents decided to search the house of Pyarilal, the liquor dealer. When the search was on, he arrived in an autorickshaw at the place. Though he attempted to escape, he was caught and handed over to the police.